ABUJA, FCT – In a major political statement ahead of the next general election cycle, a coalition of youths from Kogi State has presented a ₦100 million cheque to the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fund the purchase of the 2027 presidential nomination forms for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The delegation, led by Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, handed over the funds at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday. The move is being framed as a massive vote of confidence in the President’s “Renewed Hope” agenda and his policies regarding youth inclusion in governance.
APC Declares 2027 Form “Fully Paid”
Receiving the cheque on behalf of the party, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, announced that with this payment now credited to the party’s account, the matter of the President’s nomination form is officially settled.
“With this payment, I want to make an announcement that nobody should bother to bring money to buy a form for Mr. President again, because the form has been procured in advance,” Yilwatda stated. He noted that while other groups had previously presented “dummy cheques,” the Kogi youth delegation was the first to fulfil the financial commitment with actual funds.
“A Symbolic Investment”
Governor Ododo, speaking during the presentation, described the donation as a grassroots effort mobilised through community-based contributions across Kogi’s 21 local government areas. He emphasised that the youth of the state felt a “moral obligation” to support the President’s re-election bid due to the impact of recent federal interventions in the state.
- Motivation: Representatives of the youth group cited the President’s recent declaration that Nigeria is “out of the woods” economically and the appointment of young leaders to strategic positions as primary reasons for their support.
- Contingency: The group indicated they have reserved additional funds exceeding the ₦100 million mark, should the party review the cost of nomination forms upward for the 2027 cycle.
Mixed Public Reactions
The gesture has sparked intense debate across social media and political circles. While APC loyalists have hailed the move as a show of patriotism and early alignment, critics have questioned the timing and source of the funds.
Some commentators pointed to the prevailing economic hardships in the country, suggesting that such a significant sum could have been better utilised for local youth empowerment projects. Others, including supporters of opposition figures like Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, have dismissed the move as a “politically orchestrated” stunt intended to project an image of nationwide support.
